Frailty
by Chibi Fenrir
Summary: There is no such thing as loving him too much.
1. First Accident

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Love Hina or any of its characters.

-

Shinobu dragged her finger around the rim of the vase and frowned at the brown she collected on the tip. It was ridiculous how much dust could gather in such a short amount of time. Even though she absolutely hated dusting, she made it her duty to do it every week and she had to get started before…

"Hey!" She pretended not to hear him as she rubbed the dust off her finger. "Wait!"

He found her.

Her favorite person rushed down the hallway equipped with a feather duster, the untied apron he wore flapping with every step he took. "C'mon Shinobu," Keitaro pleaded, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose as he slowed to a stop. "Do we really have to go through this again?"

"Sempai…" The resident cook tightened her grip around her own feather duster. She nodded to herself before turning to face him, her resolve noted in the deep blue that looked up at him. "W-We're competing against each other…"

Keitaro shook his head as he took the time to properly tie on the apron. He didn't know who it was that put that idea in her head, but that wasn't the case at all. "I've been telling you it's not like that…" He smiled as he moved closer to her, letting his hand fall on her shoulder before she could shy away. "I've been trying to clean up a little more because I know how hard you work to pick up my slack. I'm grateful, but I can handle it. You should really take a break."

"You really think that…?" Shinobu broke into a smile as he nodded, the comforting squeeze he gave her shoulder underlining his sincerity as he looked her in the eyes. "O-Okay…" He was clearly trying his best so she wouldn't get in his way, but she could at least try to offer him a break since he was giving her one. "Do you w-want some of the cake I made before you start?"

"I'm sorry." His smile faded as he returned his hand to his side. "I have to get all these chores done as soon as possible. Naru wants me to take her out tonight so I have to hurry up."

"Aww…" Shinobu groaned, visibly disappointed as she bowed her head and sighed. The reason she made the cake was so everyone could have a treat together for once, but her sempai was always left out. Ever since he proposed to Naru, opportunities to do things as simple as talk to him were becoming increasingly rare. It was because all the girls, herself included, missed him that she took it upon herself to take a share of his workload. She figured it'd give him more time to spend with them, but it only led to him chasing her down to keep her from doing something she didn't have to do. "I'll stay then. If we work together then-"

"Not this time, Shinobu." Keitaro cut in before folding his arms and closing his eyes in his best attempt to look impassive. He failed, but she knew how stubborn he was. There was nothing she could do after his mind was made up. "You're going to take a break."

"Sempai…"

He was overworking himself.

Between Naru and his studies, he barely had the time to tend to his responsibilities as a landlord. He was busy, but he still worked hard to get things done. He worked hard to make sure no one else had to bother with the things he was supposed to do.

Keitaro cracked open ay eye to find Shinobu staring at him.

He could tell by the look on her face that she was worried, the slight dip of her eyebrows and the way she frantically tried to say something only to end up keeping her silence adding to the signs he picked up. She always had trouble giving voice to her concerns so he learned to interpret her expressions a long time ago.

"Hmm," He used a smile to put her at ease. "Can you do me a favor and try to save a piece for me? Knowing Su, it's probably all gone by now though."

"Are…" She was wanted to help him, but he already asked her to take it easy. "Are you sure, sempai?"

Keitaro nodded on his way down the hall, keeping his smile as he walked. Shinobu stared at his back for a few seconds before going on her way. She rounded a corner with the slice of cake she'd protect with her life the sole thing on her mind and he disappeared into one of the vacant rooms.

"Man…" Keitaro slid the door closed behind him before approaching a random corner in the room. "If I can get all this done before dinner, then I can go and take a nap. If I'm lucky, some cake might still be—Ahh!!" He nearly stepped on something and immediately scrambled back before he completely brought his leg down. With his back to the door, the landlord gulped before lowering his sight to the floor.

"Hmm…" The woman he almost walked over rolled onto her back. She yawned before she sat up. "I feel so much better now." She stretched as she said it, relieving the tense muscles in her back as she raised her hands high into air and looked around. "Ah, was that your doing?"

The landlord breathed a deep sigh of relief before switching the lights on, something he should have thought to do earlier. At any rate, accidentally stepping on people didn't make them feel good. "I'm sorry about that, but…" He returned to her side and reached his hand under her bangs to rest it on her forehead. It didn't feel particularly hot and neither made mention of the contact. "You don't have to come somewhere like this when you're feeling faint. You know I'll lay out a futon for you. You can even have mine if you want."

"Ara ara…" Mutsumi flashed him her ever-present smile before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "I was just taking a nap. I didn't pass out and that'd be… troublesome to your girlfriend, wouldn't it?"

Keitaro blinked, his face blank as he completely missed her point. "Not at all." He held out a hand to help her up. "If you're tired, you can rest wherever you want. If you just so happen to be closer to my room, feel free. Can't think of a reason she'd get upset over something like that."

"I can think of quite a few." The watermelon lover warmly accepted his hand and got to her feet. She leveled her sunny smile at him. "Did you come to wake me for dinner?"

"Ha… I'm sorry. It was an accident." He shook his head before directing her attention to the feather duster he held and the apron he had on. "I'm just cleaning up. You can go back to sleep, but let me go and get you a futon."

"I'm fine." Mutsumi reached out and grabbed his sleeve before he could walk away. She was already wide awake. "You don't-"

Keitaro unintentionally pulled her forward with him and they bumped into each other, both of them clumsy enough to lose their balance in a vain attempt to help the other regain theirs. He let go of the feather duster to grab hold of her and she landed roughly on top of him. The air was knocked out of him as he broke her fall, but it was better than her getting hurt.

He wanted to ask her if she was alright, but two things came to his immediate attention before anything else. One, he could barely think because of the way Mutsumi was moving against him and, two, was simply because he couldn't talk.

He couldn't move his lips because they were pressed against hers.

For a second, his brain shorted out. Instead of processing and interpreting what came from the contact, he only collected it. He took in the sensation that came from the unintentional kiss and he dared not look at wherever his hand was. He didn't need to see what he was touching to know that it was soft.

"Mhmm…" Mutsumi pushed herself up, successfully straddling him as she licked her lips. "Troublesome indeed…Are you okay, Keitaro?"

Her question flicked his brain back on. The facts of the situation attacked him, the truth stabbing him in the back as he looked up at the woman on top of him. He kissed her. He didn't make the mistake of slipping her the tongue, but he still kissed her. He groped her. He shot a guilty look at his hand, flexing it as he recalled exactly what he how she felt. It was only because she straddled him that he didn't already attempt to make his escape, but, because of his experience with previous misunderstandings, he knew the best approach was always diplomacy.

"I'm okay…" His voice was level as turned towards the door. "I really got to g-get back to cleaning though, so if you don't mind…"

"Ara ara…" She leaned over him, watching as he tried to inch his way from under her. "Are you really that scared of someone seeing us like this?"

"W-What?" The look on his face was all it took for her to confirm her suspicions. "Of course I am!" The landlord was quick to lower his voice to a whisper, careful not to draw any of the attention he didn't want. "They'd kill me before I could explain!"

"Oh?" If only he knew how much she wanted to stay on top of him. "You can count on me." She moved against him, the shuffle of her hips and the hand she pressed down on his chest the only support she needed before getting to her feet. "You don't have to worry about anything like that, but I might have to tell Naru about the kiss." She joked, holding out a hand to help him up much the same way he did for her.

Keitaro looked at her, but he paid no heed to the hand she held out or the friendly smile on her face. His expression was the same, the position they were in was the reason he frowned, but something in his eyes immediately told her she said the wrong thing.

The sense that something was wrong blared in her head like a siren that wouldn't go off.

Mutsumi blinked, her mind set on fire by his reaction as her failed attempt at a joke went down in flames. Something was wrong. There was no doubt that something was wrong, but all she cared about as she watched him was making sure he knew that she didn't mean it. If it was something she said, if it was something she did to make him look at her like that, then she'd apologize until her throat was sore. She kneeled, extending her hand to maintain any kind of contact with him in case her voice failed her. "Keitaro…" It didn't. She said it calmly and surely, but the panic that shook her heart threatened to overtake her as she looked him in the eyes. "I don't know what I said but I don't mean it. I s-swear I-"

"Don't…" Keitaro started, the hand that aimlessly sought him falling with the word. "I…" He couldn't even find the words to stumble over in his defense. "You…" He gave up trying to explain and ended up begging without preamble. "Please…" He pleaded. "Please don't tell her, Mutsumi…"

It was just a joke.

It was just a joke, but his reaction wasn't funny at all. He wasn't blushing and falling over himself trying to apologize. He wasn't running away crying that it wasn't his fault. With a disjointed string of words, he was begging her not to say anything to his fiancé.

By itself, his reaction implied that he was scared of Naru.

That much was true. Everyone knew he was scared of her and it was something that wouldn't change. Naru was the one in charge. She dictated where the relationship went and he was the one that followed. From her perspective, it seemed awfully rough but she was alright with it as long as he was.

What bothered her more than that, what disturbed her more than the way he looked up at her, was the idea that she would betray him. The absolute worst was that he believed she would do something like that to him.

Mutsumi averted her eyes, her hand slightly shaking as she thought to touch him. She put her hand on top of his. She wouldn't do him like that. She'd never do anything to hurt him. "I won't…"

Keitaro sucked in a breath before letting out, the relief he felt second to none as she spared him further agony. It felt like he was saved from the chopping block at the last minute and he was so grateful that he already bowed his head to thank her.

That wasn't what she wanted.

Mutsumi squeezed his hand, telling him the things he already knew with the gesture. He knew her just as well as she knew him. She didn't need words to make him understand that much, but she did have to voice the question he could see in her eyes.

"Why are you so scared of her?"

She knew why.

It wasn't exactly a secret, but she needed him to talk to her regardless of the fact that she already knew the answer. She needed him to talk to her because she needed to be reminded that what she did was the right thing. She needed to know that the feelings she sacrificed weren't in vain.

She needed to be sure about his relationship with Naru because it was already too late for her to take back his heart…

-

Frailty

-

Keitaro finished dusting another room and she followed him out into the hallway. With their conversation finished for the most part, Mutsumi felt like she accomplished something as they moved into the last room on the first floor. She was happy. It wasn't often that she got to spend time with him alone so just talking to him for the greater part of an hour was easily the highlight of her day. More importantly, her fears were unfounded.

"It's not like I think she'll seriously kill me or anything… It's just… Well…" He slid back the door, standing aside to let her walk in first as he looked inside. "Naru gets really jealous. I don't mind her hitting me. Honestly, I don't really care anymore. I just have a feeling she's going to wake one day and just call everything off at the last minute."

His uncertainty made her stop in the doorway.

"W-What?"

"I don't mean it in a bad way." He promised, giving his friend a smile as she turned to look at him. "It's just that it all feels kind of unreal. I can't believe I'm getting married." His smile was priceless, the look on his face dazzling her as he spoke about what was once an unreachable dream. "I wouldn't be surprised if she came to her senses and called it off."

"Ara ara…" His companion followed him inside, pausing only to close the door behind them. "You certainly put her on a high pedestal…"

"I know it sounds kind of crazy, but I love everything about her…" He kept his smile as he swiped the feather duster across the furniture no one used. "I love Naru so I have to accept that part of her. That's just how she is and I love who she is." She felt a terrible stab of envy as he stopped dusting long enough to let the fondness of his smile spread across his features. "She still sends me through walls every now and then and she does say some stuff that makes me feel bad, but that's just who she is. I really love her, Mutsumi."

"I know how you feel about her." She stepped back to avoid that small cloud of dust that gathered around him. The reason she never said anything was because she knew how he felt. It was why she happily worked to bring him and Naru together in spite of her own feelings. "I know how you feel better than anyone else…"

She knew him the best.

It wasn't his grandma and his family or his fiancé and her friends that really knew him. She was the one that made it her duty to know every single thing about him. It wasn't an obsession as much as it was an honest effort to make sure someone as kind and sweet as him got as much happiness as he deserved and more.

"Um… thanks…"

He unconsciously edged further away from her, something she didn't fail to notice as her dark eyes locked on his retreating figure. He didn't have to run from her. She knew he was planning to get married and she wouldn't dare threaten something he worked so hard to get, but she couldn't deny the part of her that always wanted a little piece of Keitaro to herself. There would always be a part of her that wanted to be the one he treasured.

"You're welcome…"

She didn't like it.

She didn't like where her thoughts were heading, but there was nothing else she could think about when she was alone with him over a period of time. There was nothing to distract herself with. She looked, her eyes darting around in an attempt to find anything to take her mind off him, but Keitaro filled her vision. She couldn't stop looking at him. She couldn't stop wanting him.

Would it be wrong to just have something to remember him by?

"Hey," She covered her nose and her mouth with her hand as she approached him. "Keitaro…"

He inched away from her again, trying his best to keep a respectable amount of distance between them. "Y-Yeah…?"

"Did you ever used to think about me?"

Keitaro dropped the feather duster, his glasses sliding down his nose as his jaw dropped. He blinked a few good times before raising a hand to push his glasses back up. "W-What do you mean?" He started to move away again, but she reached out to stop him. She wouldn't let him weasel his way out of the question and she wouldn't let him keep edging away.

He didn't have to run from her.

"Did you ever like—No," That wasn't what she wanted to ask. She wanted to know if he ever considered being with her the way she longed to be with him. She just wanted a confirmation of what she already suspected so she could start burying the dream she denied herself. "Did you ever think about… being with me?"

He lowered his sight to the floor as memories of flooded into his mind. There was no doubt. Naru didn't have a monopoly on his mind. He frequently thought about other girls, but the thought of the fantasies that featured the woman in front of him kept the landlord from looking her in the eyes.

Even though she was ill, her body was definitely too healthy…

He knew from experience that she was more… gifted than the other girls. She was a little heavier than them, but for all the right reasons. She didn't have the shape of a super model. She wouldn't be walking down any runways, but she had the figure to do it if she really wanted to.

To be fair, he had long since stopped thinking about such things but she didn't ask him that. She wanted to know if he ever thought about her and the answer was a definite yes. The problem was actually telling her as much without sounding like the pervert Naru constantly accused him of being.

He wasn't talking to Naru though…

Keitaro quickly nodded the positive in an attempt to tell the truth before he willed himself to lie and Mutsumi looped her arms around him in a clumsy hug that suited her. Though her question caught him off guard, her gentle hug did nothing of the sort. He relaxed in her embrace, feeling at quite at home in her arms until he felt her breath on his neck.

She was too close.

"Mhmm…" Mutsumi hummed as she pulled him even closer. He could feel the way she was pressing against him no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. "Keitaro… I locked the door behind me…"

"M-Mutsumi…?"

She exhaled, her breath cooling the bare skin that started to get hot. She instinctively knew what she was trying to do was wrong, but she just wanted a little piece of him before another woman claimed him as her own.

She kissed the side of his neck and sent something similar to an electric shock down his spine. "Let me kiss you…" She licked him, his gasp the reason she thought to do it again. "I promise I won't tell anyone…"

"N-No!" Keitaro struggled to get away from the kisses she left along his neck, absent-mindedly wondering when she managed to get her arms around his neck. "We can't!" He had the presence of mind to duck, dropping to the ground and quickly scooting back and away from her. "Mutsumi, I'm… I'm going to get married! We can't do this!"

She dived on top of him.

"_Mutsumi_!"

It was because he was getting married that she had to get what was hers. She had to at least get a kiss out of him. She deserved that much for letting his affections for her wither. She was entitled to that much for letting her feelings remain idle for the greater part of her life.

"Keitaro… Just let…" He was being difficult. "Just let me have a kiss." The woman that ended up on top tangled with him for a minute before getting the upper hand. She pinned one of his arms to the floor and laid on top of him to keep him down under she could do the same to the other. "Please…" She couldn't wipe away the sweat that she started to build on her skin. She was tired, the brief tussle enough to make her wear her out, but she wasn't finished. "Please let me have one kiss before it's too late."

"No…" He was helpless. The only thing he could do was maintain his defiance as she swung her leg over him and straddled him again. "I'm not-"

"I'll tell her." She wasn't going to argue. "I'll tell her that we kissed."

It was a lie.

It was a threat she wouldn't follow through with even if he continued to reject her.

She knew she was putting him in a difficult, if not impossible position, but all she was asking for was a kiss. She wasn't asking him to do something unsavory. She wasn't asking him to sleep with her. That was why she lied. Even though she was actively taking advantage of him, she'd never intentionally do something to hurt him. On the contrary, she only acted on his behalf. If she had even the slightest feeling that what she was doing would hamper his relationship with Naru then she never would have even thought to ask him for what she always wanted.

Keitaro stopped resisting, his defiance fading as she bended his will.

"Mutsumi… please…"

He didn't have the heart to look at her so he turned away, exposing the place where she wanted to finish what she started. It wasn't that easy though. She swallowed hard, anxiety setting in as she decided against responding to his pleas because she feared she wouldn't find her voice.

"Keitaro…"

She did.

Mutsumi breathed on him, his name all she could say without straining to keep her voice from cracking. She was doing something bad, but it wasn't too late. She didn't have to make him sad. She didn't have to do something he didn't want her to do, but she couldn't help herself.

All he needed to do was be quiet…

"Shh…"

After threatening to tell Naru about the accidental kiss, Mutsumi was free to lift her hands from his wrists but she didn't. She kept him pinned to the floor as she dropped her head down towards his neck. She licked him again just to see his reaction so she was pleasantly pleased when he shivered, goosebumps rising as she worked her tongue along his jaw.

Mutsumi licked her lips, the apprehension she felt at first fading as she thought to get what she wanted from him. "Look at me…"

He listened to her, his sight obscured by the way his glasses laid across his face. She was undeniably pretty, the softness of her features betraying the strength of her grip and the frailty of her body. The most attractive thing about her wasn't her beauty. He always liked her because of how she never failed to spread her cheer around without even trying, but the most cheerful person he knew stared down at him without a smile on her face.

What she was doing didn't make her happy.

It made her feel good, but it didn't make her happy. What she was doing didn't make her proud of herself for having the courage to go through with it and she didn't even want to bother thinking about the eventual aftermath.

She kissed him.

She was hungry for his lips, but she only thought to press her own against this corner of his mouth. The look in his eyes begged him to stop, but she didn't and she wouldn't. She flicked her tongue across his lips, parting them as they stared into each other's eyes all the while.

She tasted him.

It was nothing short of wonderful, the flavor of Keitaro something she savored as she took everything she could from the moment of intimacy she sought for as long as she could remember. He responded to her, following her wishes just enough to ensure she wouldn't go back on her word. He let her tongue wander his mouth and he held any complaint as she intentionally grazed his lip with teeth.

It was over.

"Keitaro…"

Was it wrong to tell him she loved it? That she wanted more?

The landlord didn't say anything. He merely looked up at her with eyes that would never trust her again. She accepted his distrust, unable to do anything other than let go of his wrists before she finally sat up. She had to speak up though. If she ever wanted to be able to look him in the eye again, if she ever wanted to be able to talk to him again, she had to make sure he knew why she went so far.

"Keitaro…" Mutsumi repeated his name to get his attention even though she was sure she already had it. "I love you." She said it before she could stop herself, the secret she planned to take to her grave escaping through her voice. "I… I wanted to kiss you. I just wanted you to know that I love you before you got married. That's all."

She gave him the reason, but it ended up sounding like an excuse.

He massaged his wrists before bringing a hand to his face to reposition his glasses. The deep brown behind the lens shimmered, his gaze leveled at her as he patiently waited for her to get up.

It wasn't a misunderstanding.

What she did was wrong and she accepted the most likely outcome. Mutsumi stood, using the hand she planted on his chest to push herself up again. Upon getting to her feet, she held out a hand for him which he accepted after a long second.

Keitaro bowed his head towards her before dusting himself off, the frilly apron that caught most of the dusty brown unceremoniously beaten in an effort to keep from tracking dust all the way back to his room. He sneezed as he turned on his heel and headed for the door.

"Keitaro…"

She wasn't going to apologize because she didn't have the right. If he hated her, then he'd hate her. If he never wanted to talk to her again, then he wouldn't talk to her again. The fact was that there was nothing she could do about whatever he decided on. The only thing she could do was offer him the truth.

"I won't tell her…" Something in her heart broke as she watched him unlatch the door and slide the door back. "I swear I won't tell-Oh…."

He left without stopping to listen.

She expected as much, but the heart that was broken shattered on the event of his wordless departure. She felt faint for an entirely new reason as she slumped and sunk to her knees. She didn't regret what happened or what she did, but she couldn't put into words what came over her. She didn't know why she locked the door. She didn't know what prompted her to…

Mutsumi killed her train of thought before it reached its destination.

What she did was wrong. That was all that needed to said, all that needed to be admitted. The important thing was that she'd continue to support him just like, if not more than, she did before.

She sprawled out on the floor, resting her head on top of a long braid of brown before spreading her arms out wide. She stared up at the ceiling, silently wondering if he'd ever treat her the same way again. He was always too kind for his own good so it wouldn't be too far out there to believe he would, but the one thing she noted about him that other people didn't was that his eyes never lied.

He'd smile and laugh when he was supposed to, but the true feelings he tried hard to hide were always present in the deep brown she could stare into for days. He'd pretend that everything was alright, but she'd never forget the way he looked at her. She wouldn't be able to ignore the way he'd start looking at her.

Mutsumi sighed, taking the time to drag a finger across her lips as she recalled the kiss. For at least a moment, she wanted to sink into the warmth she felt then so she forced everything that bothered her into the back of her mind. She could worry over the details later. She got what she wanted and, even though she knew she'd regret it eventually, it was worth the significant price she paid.

She sneezed.

Continued…

Author's Note: I think Frailty is a really good title for this story. That said, I'm not that happy with the way I had to set the stage, but the reason Mutsumi is hard to mess with is precisely because of her character. She's just really, really selfless. The closest I can get to keeping her in character is warping it so her desires mix with, say, Keitaro's situation. This story is going to give me some trouble, but I wanted to try to get this chapter out before Christmas at least.

Still, this is my little present for the holidays and thanks for reading everyone.


	2. Second Accident

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Love Hina or any of its characters.

-

"Look." Naru massaged her temples on her trek up the steps. She was already tired of the argument, but the fact that it was still ongoing was quickly giving her a headache. "I specifically asked you not to leave a tip. All I'm saying is that she didn't deserve one."

"C'mon… She didn't do anything wrong, Naru." Keitaro held his sigh and reached up to loosen his tie as the front door finally came into sight. "She did a good job and it's not like they get paid a lot." He made his way up the last few steps and was quick to open the door. "It's not like she spilled a drink on you or anything…"

"Oh please," His fiancé wished the split in her dress was a little higher just so her stride could be wider. "She was sneaking peeks at you the whole night! She was going to slip you her number until she saw me reach for your hand and…" She caught the door before it closed behind him. "I could have sworn that a certain someone used to go out of his way to hold the door for me."

"Naru, I'm not exactly a girl magnet if you didn't notice and…" He slipped off his shoes, ignoring the attack on his chivalry as he headed straight for his room. "More importantly, she was watching us so she could refill our drinks."

"If you want to defend her so much then maybe you should have proposed to her instead!"

Keitaro groaned, tilting his head back and letting his hand slide down his face as he stopped at the base of the steps. Before anything else, he loved Naru. He wouldn't have asked her to marry him if he didn't, but there was no reasoning with her when she started talking like that.

"Naru…" He sighed, loosening the knot in his tie a little more before he turned around to face her. "I'm sorry I left the tip. If I knew it meant that much to you then I wouldn't have left one, okay? I'm sorry."

"You're missing my point." The brunette narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn't going to let him slide just because he apologized. "I told you to do something and you didn't listen to me. Instead of listening to me, you watched little miss whoever prance around." She turned her nose up at him, indignation tainting the air as they locked eyes. "I just want you to know I saw it when you tried to look up her skirt, too."

"I dropped my fork and she just so happened to be passing by." He gave up, turning his back to her as he decided to head to his room before another argument broke out. "She didn't say anything because she knew I didn't look."

"She didn't say anything because she wanted you to look."

"I didn't-"

Her shoe hit him squarely in the back of the head, effectively interrupting the denial she didn't want to hear. She saw him do it so it happened and she wasn't going to listen to any lies.

"Shut up!" She shouted from where she stood. He always had to turn everything into some show about her blowing things out of proportion when he was the one at fault. She wasn't the one that left the tip. She wasn't the one that was trying to look up skirts. "God… You always find a way to mess something up!" She took in a sharp breath and sighed as she walked towards him. "Give me my shoe."

Keitaro quietly bent at the waist to feel around for the shoe she launched at his head. His finger came into contact with the same strap he used to pick it up and he tossed it behind him towards the girl.

She let it fall in front of her without even trying to catch it.

"No," She grit her teeth. He was starting to test her patience. "I said give it to me."

She had to be kidding…

Keitaro faked a laugh, incredulous as he turned around to find his fiancé leveling a glare at him. She was serious. She seriously wanted him to walk over to her, pick up the shoe that was literally right in front of her, and hand it to her like some sort of servant. He could tell by her expression that she wasn't joking, but it took every ounce of strength left in him not to laugh in her face.

She didn't have any idea what he went through.

"Naru…" He grinned after the stark disbelief already sunk in, but the strain in his eyes made it clear that he wasn't anything close to happy. "I'm not going to do that."

"What?" She gave him a toothy smile, her eyebrow arching as he thought to make the mistake of defying her. The truth was that she was glad he was more assertive. She made it a point to instill a spine in the landlord, but, just like him, there was no affection or amusement lingering in her eyes.

"The shoe…" He pointed at it for further reference. "It's right there, Naru. I'm not going to walk over there and pick it up for you when it's _right there_."

"I don't remember asking you to throw it at me!" She stomped, not giving a fuck who she woke up as her grin twisted into a snarl. "I said give it to me! You either listen to me or it's over!"

"Naru…"

He was about to make a mistake.

Keitaro already knew he was about to possibly make biggest mistake of his entire life because there was no way he was going to waltz over to where she stood and pick up her shoe for her when she was perfectly capable of doing it herself. If she wanted the shoe so bad then she shouldn't have thrown it at him.

"I'm not-"

"Ara ara…" Mutsumi said it a little louder than usual as she wandered her way into the room. "I thought I heard something. Sounded like—Oh…" She trailed off as she neared Naru. She bent, her pajama top riding up a little as she reached down and picked up the shoe in front of her. "You must have dropped this."

Naru snatched the shoe from her, her eyes brimming with fury she directed at the man that stood his ground. That was fine. It was dandy as a matter of fact. If he wanted to be stupid over nothing then he could spend the night by himself.

"Thank you, Mutsumi…" She didn't bother to look at the girl as she spoke. "At least someone here knows how to do something right."

The brunette stared him down as she walked away, brushing past him on her way up the steps and to her room instead of his. The two she left behind sighed at the same time, both of them watching and waiting until his fiancé ascended the steps before they dared to look at each other.

"Keitaro…"

-

Frailty

-

"Mutsumi…" Keitaro didn't expect to see her so soon after what happened, but he was through with dealing with women for the day. He nodded his head towards her in thanks for her timely interruption and started up the steps.

"Wait," She felt a small smile come to her face as he did, but it vanished because of the question she was determined to ask. "Was it… Was this my fault?"

The simple, but long answer was no. What transpired before his date with Naru had little effect on what happened. It didn't matter. He could have won the lottery and his fiancé still would have got pissed at the waitress that did nothing wrong. There was just times when Naru turned on bitch mode and, honestly, he was okay with it. He knew she got like that sometimes and he accepted the best along with the worst of her. It was just that, for the first time in a while, she was getting on his last nerve.

Unfortunately, he didn't feel like giving her the long answer because the short one was…

"Yes…"

If Mutsumi wasn't on his mind, then he probably wouldn't have knocked over his fork. If his nerves weren't already rattled, then he probably would have just folded and picked up Naru's shoe. His reply was based on uncertainty, but he was sure that his day wouldn't have been as bad if she didn't blackmail him.

"I didn't mean for something like this to happen." Mutsumi nervously clasped her hands together in front of her chest, her head bowed as she made another attempt to get him to understand. She meant it when she said all she wanted was a kiss. "I'm not trying to come between-"

"I know." Keitaro sighed again, his shoulders rising and falling with the motion as he walked back down the stairs and stood in front of his friend. He was tired, frustrated, and sleepy but it wasn't right to take it out on Mutsumi just because of a kiss. It wasn't the kiss that made him feel so bad, though. It was the sudden feelings she forced on him—the way she took advantage of him—that betrayed the trust he invested in her. "I know you didn't mean it like that but still…"

"I…" Mutsumi moved, the steps she took towards him taking away the distance that was there before. "I want you to marry her, Keitaro. I told you I loved you because I do." She always meant what she said to him. "I told you because I wanted you to know, but I'm not trying to take her place. Believe me…" She paused, taking in a breath as her expression reflected what she was trying to say. "Please believe me when I say that's all I wanted. If you hate me now and want me to leave, then I'll-Ah…"

When did he start smiling at her? He looked like he wanted to laugh as he took a seat on the steps, the dark brown of his eyes locked on her as he adjusted his frames. In a way, he looked amused but she was dead serious. If he wanted her to leave then she would be gone before he woke up.

"I was confused, you know." Keitaro tilted his head a little to the side as he spoke, but he never took his eyes off her. "I didn't know if I should be angry or what. I knew you were strong…" He spied a look at his wrist, thankful that she didn't leave any marks. "I just didn't know you felt like that. I mean, you're so nice with everyone and everything…"

That was how she wanted it to be.

Even though Keitaro was always at the forefront of her mind, she never thought to make herself come first in his dreams. She was sick, she was older than him, and she wasn't sure if she could make him happy or not. Sure, she'd have the time of her life just being with him but that didn't mean anything if the feeling wasn't mutual.

"I didn't believe I could make you happy." She was honest, brutally so as she voiced what she long accepted as fact. There was no need to lie now that she took things so far. "I'm a…" The watermelon lover gave up, another sigh spent for her trouble as she trailed off. She had no problem telling him the truth, but telling him why was a different story.

Just like him, she was clumsy and tended to be a little thick in the head from time to time, but she wasn't slow. She wasn't a genius, either though. It was just that she knew when to act the ditz and was good at doing it.

She became a liar, not a compulsive one, but just enough to feel like a dishonest woman.

"I can't help but be happy when you're around."

Mutsumi lifted her head so fast she almost got dizzy. She made and kept eye contact with the man that sat in front of her. He had let go of his lazy grin, exchanging it for an expression that suited him so much better. The clot of feelings that built up in a worried heart melted away as he offered her the friendly smile she become accustomed to receiving from him.

"Don't jump to any crazy conclusions, Mutsumi…" He slowly started to get up, his idle hand reaching up to grab the railing as he gave her some advice. "It was kiss. It bothered me and I still do feel a little strange, but it was just a kiss. I'm not going to hate you or make you leave. You're still one of my best friends and I still like you. Just… don't do something like that again, okay?"

She adored him.

She wanted to kiss him again, but she restrained herself. Someone that was ready for cold shoulders and silent treatments was back in his good graces. Keitaro was always so good to her, always so kind to her, but she never had anything to give him in return.

"I promise…" Mutsumi extended her hand. She wanted to touch him. With all of her heart, she wanted to connect with him and, even if it was only via touch of their conjoined hands, she still felt like it would be enough. It was because of that feeling that the twinkle in her eyes shimmered a little as he took her hand in his own and gave it a brief, but gentle shake.

She shuddered. Thankfully, he didn't know the effect his touch had on her but that wasn't the reason why she wanted to kiss him so much. It was his kindness that touched her, the way he was so quick to forgive her that cemented her feelings for him all over again.

But his touch still felt so good…

"It was nothing big." He was already turning around and starting his retreat up the steps. "I mean Naru herself almost killed me a couple of times and we got over it so this won't be anything to us, Mutsumi. Let's pretend it never happened and-"

"No."

She said it without thinking.

"Huh?"

"I-It was really important to me… so, even if you want to act like it never happened, please remember that it did."

It was not her first kiss and it wouldn't be her last, but it was the first time she ever thoroughly enjoyed doing it. It was the first time she kissed the man she loved the way she wanted to so she wouldn't forget. To him, it was someone that shouldn't have happened. To her, it was a memory to be framed within her mind.

In short, she was asking him to acknowledge her feelings even if he didn't accept them.

To deny that private exchange of feeling, to kill the beauty of a memory that wouldn't be shared with anyone else, was tantamount to committing a crime. The reason she kissed him wasn't because he was getting married. She kissed him because she loved him more than his family, and more than his future wife. She loved him more than anyone else so she deserved that much. She loved him the most so she was at least entitled to that much.

"Okay…"

Keitaro hesitated, his eyes angled to the side as he agreed. Mutsumi stared up the stairs and started her ascent before he had a chance to move from where he was. She enveloped him in a hug, the side of her face pressing into his back as she gave him all of her gratitude. He tensed at first, but relaxed once she started speaking.

"I swear I'll keep it a secret…" She clutched him a little tighter around the waist, the difference in height an illusion created by the higher step he stood on. "It'd be something that's just between us."

It was a secret.

Not the kind of secret kids kept about the toys they buried in the backyard or the kind of secrets friends kept for each other's sake. It was a secret that was unspeakable to both, dirty to one, and important to the other.

"You promised…"

He reminded her.

It felt good to make up with her, but the way she was hugging him was definitely suspect. If anyone saw them, he would have no possible excuse. More than that, her gratitude was starting to feel a little too good after his outing with Naru wasn't exactly roses. Not to mention that he never recalled her feeling so soft…

"Oh…" The arms looped around his torso fell and Mutsumi backed away, giving him just enough room to turn around and face her. "I…"

She realized their relationship changed.

There was no more innocence. There would be no more hugs just because she felt like it and no more greeting kisses. She wouldn't be able to be alone with him without thinking about the kiss and she wouldn't be able to deny that she wanted more. Much more. Not to mention that she had him to herself at the very moment…

But she promised.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

They said it in unison and uncertain expression blossomed into smiles. They were being silly. It was just a kiss. They kissed each other before. It was just a misunderstanding. They talked about it like adults and sorted out what happened so they were okay. There was nothing to worry about.

"Good night, Keitaro."

"Sleep well, Mutsumi."

They waved at each other before they went there separate ways.

There was nothing to worry about at all.

0

"Everything passed in a blur… All I remember is counting out the bills and laying them out then bam!" Kitsune slammed her hand on the table so hard that it rocked the cup of orange juice Shinobu placed on the coaster. "Next thing I know, he's laughing at me like I was stupid and pulling all my money towards him. I was so pissed I almost flipped the table over!"

"So you lost all the money you earned managing the teahouse? Again?" Motoko lowered the steaming tea from her lips and set her cup on the table before deciding to comment any further. "Keitaro probably won't be able to let you get by without paying again this month, Kitsune."

"I know, I know." The owner of the teahouse nodded before pushing aside her finished breakfast. "He let me slide last time because… Well, because he's Keitaro but with the way Naru has been on him lately I really don't know what I'm going to do."

"Just ask sempai." Shinobu returned to the table to pick up the plate and got back into the conversation. "Naru has to stay at school a little longer than he does on Thursdays, so you'll get the chance to talk to him about it when she's not around."

"What I was trying to say is that it won't work out that way this time." Motoko turned her attention away from the girl sitting on the other side of the table and to the cook. "With Naru breathing down his neck, Keitaro is liable to do something like make her pay two months worth of rent next month instead of giving her a free pass again."

"You're wrong." Shinobu dropped the dishes into the sink and turned on the facet. "Just because she's getting more involved with his duties doesn't mean he'll do something like that. You need to have more faith in sempai."

"Yeah!" Kitsune agreed after taking a swig from her morning beer. "She's not the landlord! I know I made the same mistake two months in a row… but Keitaro wouldn't let down a friend in need!"

Seeing that she effectively lost her argument because her friends didn't want to see the truth, Motoko slid her seat back and started to get up. "We'll see. I suggest you start working on a solution before Naru finds out about this or you're going to be in trouble."

"You mean before I find out she don't have rent?"

Silence.

Everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the woman that entered. Shinobu left the water running as she twisted around to see what was going to happen. Motoko stilled the hand that reached for the sword she left on the table and merely watched. Kitsune blinked once and then twice before regaining her composure, the smile she pulled together to face her friend one she crafted with intentions of getting out of a sticky situation.

"I told you last month not to go around doing stupid things with your money." The woman that heard enough to know what was going on stepped into the kitchen and let her glare fall on her best friend. "It's not like you have to go around doing those crazy part time jobs anymore, either. Haruka left the teahouse to you so you didn't even have to work to get that. Don't you remember me telling you this around this time last month?"

"Yeah, but you don't get it." She remembered the long drawn out speech, but didn't retain any of it. "I didn't exactly wake up and go planning to lose all of my money on one bet. I could have doubled up!"

"You could have kept that money, too."

Agitated, Kitsune was quickly losing her smile. "You could stop telling people how to spend their money."

"I'm not telling you to do anything." Naru narrowed her eyes as she stepped up to the table. "I was just reminding you that adults have responsibilities."

Tension was the reason Shinobu forget to turn off the water and why Motoko stood right where she was. Both of them watched the conflict, but the kendo-ka wasn't going to let things get too out of hand.

"Naru, you're not the landlord. Let's just wait until Kei-"

"I never said I was." The fiancé was quick to cut her off. "Anyway… Look, Kitsune." Naru approached the table just to get closer to her best friend. "I'm not trying to boss you around-"

"Whatever…"

"But," She continued undaunted. "You're the only one that pays went out of pocket every month. That's why Keitaro is always so lenient, but you have to stop taking advantage of him. If you need some help catching up on what you owe, then I don't mind-"

"Catching up on what I owe?!" Kitsune bolted up from the table, her seat nearly falling with the motion. She didn't owe anything! Rent wasn't due yet, and Keitaro specifically said he had her covered last month. If anything it sounded like…

"I'm not making you pay for the last month. I just decided it'd be better for you to pay in advance from now on so-"

"_You_ want me to pay for this month plus the next month?" That was the last straw. She was the one going around defending her friend when the other girls said she was going on a power trip. She was the one that tried to pull Naru to the side and get her together when she felt like she was starting to get a little out of line. "Fuck that and fuck you, Naru!"

Shinobu gasped. "K-Kitsune!"

"This is just business, Mitsune!" Naru didn't flinch, but, deep down, her feelings were hurt by the reaction to her logic. "If you just calm down, then you'll see that I'm trying to help you! _You_ didn't pay rent because _you_ went and made the same exact mistake two times in a row! If I let you get free passes all the time, then what about everyone else? Why not let Su or someone else get a free month since you did?"

"I don't want to hear that from someone that doesn't even pay rent now! You've been getting on everyone's case thinking you're-Never mind." Kitsune opted to walk away before she got any angrier. "Forget it. Do whatever you want. Give whoever a free month or whatever. I don't care."

Naru rubbed her temples with her fingertips, massaging her head in an effort to make the pending headache subside as her best friend stalked off. She didn't even want to talk about the rent. In fact, she wanted to talk to her about what happened last night over breakfast with someone she thought would understand her but she couldn't just pretend she didn't hear what the girls were talking about on her way to the kitchen.

"I'm going to go train." Motoko looked at Naru with disdain as she pushed her chair back under the table. The soft green of eyes voiced the displeasure she had the discipline not to share as she quietly took her leave. "Thank you for breakfast, Shinobu."

"N-No problem." The youngest resident tried to make herself just as scarce as the other two as she spun around to turn off the running water and decided to wash dishes later. "Oh w-wow! Look at the time!" The tension was too much! She had to get away or it felt like she'd suffocate. "I forgot about that… um… homework that I got to finish."

"Shinobu," Naru wasn't fooled. With the absence of the other girls, the woman that the cook secretly envied more than anyone else dropped into the chair Kitsune left vacant. "Wait…"

Shinobu winced. She should have left when she had the chance, but it wasn't like she could just run away when it looked like Naru really needed someone to talk to. "Yes?"

"Am I really that bad?"

"Um…" What was she supposed to say? "No?"

"Everyone's been so… fickle, lately. Everything was great until we told everyone we were getting married." She rested her forehead on the table, sighing as she thought back to when everything started to go downhill. "I'm not trying to be mean to anyone, Shinobu. I'm trying my best, but I know you all think I'm just being bossy. I heard some of the things they say when they think I'm not around…"

"I don't know anything about that…" Shinobu couldn't speak for anyone else and wouldn't try. She knew that Su was angry when Naru told her she couldn't build her inventions inside Hina House anymore, almost everyone saw the argument the brunette had with Sarah concerning exploring the secret paths throughout the premises, and Kitsune just made her discontent known a few minutes ago. "Maybe you're trying a little too hard, though."

"I'm trying to help everyone mature a little so we can all be happier. We can't go around doing the same silly things for the rest of our lives." Naru never lifted her head from the table so Shinobu didn't get the chance to see the conviction that was written across her face. "If I keep letting Kitsune off easy then what's going to happen when she moves out? I'm her friend. I won't evict her, but who knows what people are liable to make her do when she walks up to them talking about not having rent for two months?"

"Well," For the first time in months, it felt like she understood Naru. Nothing was wrong with working towards a goal like that. It was actually something she found remarkable, but, at the same time, she couldn't excuse the mistake she was making even if she was just trying to be helpful. "Like Motoko said, It's more of you're not the landlord… I feel like you should just let sempai-"

"Keitaro won't help me. You know just as much as I do that everyone just goes to him right after I tell them what to do… That's why Su still makes those dumb robots and why Sarah still goes exploring even though I told her it was dangerous." She raised her head and turned to look at the girl that stood next to her. "I heard when you told Mitsune to talk to him and you know that's the first thing she's going to do when he and Mutsumi get back from the store now that we that that stupid argument..."

"S-Sorry…"

"You don't have-Never mind…" Naru stood back up and made her way to the cabinet to look for something to eat. "Just trust me, Shinobu. I know I'm not everyone's best friend right now but I'm being strict for a reason. I hate this too, you know… I'm almost stressed out." She halted her search, her sight landing on her engagement ring as she raised her hand above her head. "I took it out on him, too… I…" The brunette sighed. It was almost something subconscious about the way she treated him. She was bitch, but the one person she didn't want to be like that with saw that side of her the most. "I got to do something. I got to make up for last night at least."

An idea came to mind and her small smile grew as she spun around to face the cook. Getting a bite to eat didn't matter anymore. She could eat later, but she had to act while before he got back.

"Hey, Shinobu!" Naru beamed at the younger girl, happy that she just so happened to donate a thought to her future husband long enough to come up with something so wonderful. "I'm going to need your help setting up something special tonight. A dinner for two."

"Wah!" Shinobu nearly squealed in delight, her apprehension fading as she already started to picture her sempai and his fiancé eating her cooking by candlelight. It was so romantic that she couldn't help but get excited by the prospect. "I'll love to help!"

Naru grinned, grateful to have a friend to laugh with and a person to depend on as she started to think about the finer details of the night she was going to spend with her lover.

"It's going to be perfect."

Continued…

Author's Note: Man, I've been busy lately. More than usual to be honest, but it's all good. I wish I were more solid when it came to timely updates, but believe me when I say I'm trying my best.

Still, this story isn't exactly high priority. It's kind of messed up but I'm still trying to finish some other stuff I should have finished a long time ago at the moment. Either way, thanks for reading everyone.


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